Starting from 1950

Winter has passed and spring has arrived; in the blink of an eye, it's May.

The wind over Liaoning and Shenyang has shed its biting chill, carrying warmth and vibrant life as it sweeps across the red-brick factory buildings of Limin Flour Factory.

"squeak!"

With a crisp screech of brakes, Su Yang, riding his brand-new Forever brand bicycle, made a clean drift and came to a steady stop in front of the factory office building.

In the past few months, thanks to ample nutrition, he has grown rapidly and is now 1.5 meters tall. Standing there, he can now look Wu Xinxue in the eye almost directly.

"Little Su!"

He was locking his car when Sister Wu, who was in charge of logistics on the first floor, poked her head out of her office with a big smile on her face. "My younger brother is getting married next Friday, and the bride specifically asked for a 'Forever' car to make an appearance... What do you think?"

"Sure, Sister Wu, you can come and push it a day in advance." Su Yang readily agreed, his fingers tracing the brand-new, gleaming handlebars.

He just got this precious car last month, which cost him a whopping 162 million yuan, almost half a year's salary for an average worker.

It is not only a means of transportation, but also a symbol of status. Now it is the most sought-after and prestigious "wedding car" in the factory.

"Great deal!" Sister Wu gave him a thumbs-up, beaming. "Don't worry, I'll have my brother give your rickshaw a big red envelope!"

He waved his hand, turned around, and took a few steps up the concrete steps of the office building.

The entire flour mill had only a dozen or so bicycles, more than half of which belonged to the government.

Northeasterners are inherently concerned with saving face, and when it comes to such a major life event as marriage, who wouldn't want to do it in style?

Using a brand-new Forever brand bicycle as the "lead vehicle," carrying the bride in a red coat, parading through the city, they gained a lot of face in front of relatives, friends, and neighbors. That sense of pride was more real than eating several big meals of fish and meat.

Unlike some people in the factory who bought a bicycle and treated it like a precious artifact, fearing any damage or bumps, Su Yang didn't treat it like that. On rainy days, he would rather get soaked himself than not cover the bicycle with an oilcloth, and after riding it around, he would spend half a day carefully wiping off the dust.

In his view, an object is an object; it is created to serve people and should be put to good use.

If you buy a bicycle and then have to take care of it carefully every day, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse and turning you into a different kind of bicycle slave?

This vehicle should be ridden or borrowed when needed; making the most of it is the right thing to do.

Moreover, Su Yang also had a clear understanding of the situation.

Although the rats in the flour mill have been nearly wiped out by him, the "rat catcher," and their activity has been greatly reduced, he still earns a stable income of 400,000 to 500,000 yuan every month thanks to his "rat-catching bonus," which is far higher than that of ordinary people.

The monthly wages of flour mill workers, when converted into cash, are mostly between 200,000 and 300,000.

This income gap is like an invisible chasm.

Everyone praises him to his face for his competence and good luck, but in private, there are bound to be a few petty people who feel envious and jealous, and even harbor some dark thoughts. There are also those who gossip and say sour things behind his back.

Su Yang knew that in order to make a living in this large factory, technical skills were important, but one could not let one's guard down when it came to interpersonal relationships.

A tall tree catches the wind; one should be humble when necessary and generous when it is appropriate to help others.

Therefore, whenever someone asks to borrow his bicycle, as long as the reason is valid—such as taking an elderly family member to the hospital in an emergency, rushing to the station to pick up an important relative, or needing to make a good impression for a wedding like Sister Wu's brother—he always agrees without making things difficult, at most reminding them to ride carefully.

Over the course of a few months, his reputation for being "generous" and "unpretentious" actually helped him build a considerable number of unseen connections at the Lihua Flour Factory.

When people mention "Little Su the Mouse Catcher," in addition to admiring his skills, they also think, "This guy knows how to get along with people."

Su Yang went up to the third floor with ease.

The door to the broadcasting room was ajar, and Wu Xinxue was writing furiously at her desk.

Sunlight streamed generously through the glass window, enveloping her in a warm halo, even turning the fine downy hairs at her temples golden.

She lowered her head slightly, revealing a section of her fair and slender neck. A few strands of her jet-black hair fell casually to her cheeks, swaying gently as she moved the pen.

Hearing the door open, she glanced up and saw Su Yang. A smile appeared in her clear, watery eyes, and her lips curved into a beautiful arc. Then she lowered her head again and immersed herself back in the world of words.

Without disturbing her thoughts, Su Yang poured himself a cup of tea, sat down, and glanced at the semi-transparent panel that only he could see:

Name: Su Yang

Race: Human

[Class]: Hunter (Level 5)

[Attributes]: Strength 8, Agility 9, Stamina 8

[Experience Points]: 7/208

Several months have passed, and his level is still 5.

In the three months since the New Year, Su Yang has tried killing birds such as sparrows, ants, cockroaches, geckos, and fish, but he has not gained any experience points.

The additional 6 experience points were gained last month.

At the time, a stray dog ​​was fighting with Erhu at the factory gate. Many people from the security department were present, and Zhang Zhenguo immediately ordered everyone to open fire.

Su Yang snatched the pistol from Yu Feng and shot the stray dog ​​dead.

After the group ate dog meat, Su Yang gained 6 experience points on his stat panel.

"Attention, all factory workers!"

We are now urgently conveying important instructions from higher authorities:

Recently, some organizations and individuals have exhibited a bad trend of ostentation, extravagance, and waste, which seriously violates the call to "increase production and practice thrift, and oppose waste." At a time when the nation is rebuilding from scratch...

Su Yang was brought back to his senses by Wu Xinxue's gentle and pleasant voice.

This kind of broadcast has been playing several times a day lately.

The secretary, factory director, and two deputy factory directors of Limin Flour Factory were publicly criticized throughout the factory last week, and they have since disappeared.

As for where they went, Su Yang didn't know and didn't inquire.

It was just a matter of losing a few supervisors; the flour mill's production wasn't delayed much. The workers went about their business as usual, and Su Yang continued to hunt rats every day.

I occasionally go to support other units, share my experiences in pest control, and have a relatively leisurely time.

"Su Yang, you're here." Wu Xinxue called out to Su Yang with a smile after broadcasting the announcement three times.

Su Yang snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, "How about we take the day off to go see a movie together? I've heard the newly released 'Glorious Family' is pretty good."

Wu Xinxue was tempted for a few seconds, then shook her head with a regretful expression.

"No, Sister Hongyan said that the new Party Secretary and the new factory director may take office at any time in the next few days, and no one is allowed to take leave."

"Alright, let's look at it another day then." Su Yang sighed, then pulled a small gadget out of his pocket as if it were a treasure.

"Ta-da! Look what this is!"

A small, square object wrapped in kraft paper was handed to Wu Xinxue.

"Lipstick!" Wu Xinxue's big, watery eyes suddenly lit up, as if they were filled with shattered stars.

"Yes, it's 'Kong Fengchun.' The lady at the supply and marketing cooperative said that only three branches have entered the entire Tiexi area," Su Yang said with a smile.

In this era, simplicity is valued, and most women never wear makeup.

However, as the flour mill's only broadcaster and host, Wu Xinxue still needs to wear some lipstick on certain occasions.

"I'll cook you something delicious when we get back tonight." Wu Xinxue played with the lipstick with obvious delight, rewarding Su Yang with a sweet smile.

"Then it's a deal."

......

After leaving the broadcasting room, Su Yang toured the factory area again.

The warehouse was eerily quiet, with only the huge shadows of stacked flour sacks and the faint smell of wheat flour.

The mice were becoming increasingly scarce, making him, this "expert mouse catcher," feel like his skills were being wasted.

Seeing that there was still more than an hour before the normal end of the workday, and that there was really nothing to do at home, he decided to ride his bike around outside.

Riding his gleaming Forever brand bicycle, Su Yang casually rode along the road outside the factory area.

The character of Shenzhou is completely different from that of Beijing.

It lacks the grandeur of the Forbidden City and the leisurely pace of life in its alleyways; it's more like a robust, energetic laborer, with wide but somewhat rough streets and an air that seems perpetually filled with the smell of coal smoke and steel.

It has an incredibly strong industrial base, but a relatively weak commercial atmosphere, with very few places for ordinary people to relax and have fun.

The Tiexi District, where the Lihua Flour Factory is located, is the city's most central and typical industrial heartland.

Looking around, besides the neat but slightly gloomy factory buildings and rows of matchbox-like workers' new village apartment buildings, there are crisscrossing railway tracks and steaming locomotives.

The pedestrians on the street were dressed no differently from the ordinary people in Beijing, all wearing patched gray and black clothes.

Unlike the relaxed atmosphere in the hutongs of Beijing, people here walk faster, as if something is chasing them.

Su Yang headed southeast and unknowingly arrived at the Hun River. He slowed down and leisurely rode along the riverside road.

The Hun River is the mother river of Shenzhou.

Unlike most rivers, it flows from east to west.

After a long, frozen winter, the Hun River is now bursting with life.

The ice had long since melted away, and the river was significantly fuller than in winter, carrying melted snow from upstream and the vitality of spring, flowing swiftly and faster.

On the riverbank, newly sprouted willow branches emerge with tender green and soft twigs, their long branches drooping low and swaying gently in the wind.

Just then, a piercing sound of wood breaking and terrified screams from the crowd shattered the tranquility of the riverbank!

"Boom—crash!!!"